Ruben Rosario: Forgotten ... and fed up: A voiceless American d...

I am so glad that you published this! I have written letters to the Governor, Mayor, State Representatives and to the Senators. I too am unable to get help in this economic crisis because I am on Social Security. That makes no sense to me. I was told by a senator that this is not a Federal problem so he couldn't help me. How ridiculous! I have tried for 8 weeks to get financial help. Here in Arizona, yes McCain's State, you have to call on Monday morning at 8:00am and try to get an appointment. I am one of the unlucky ones and never can get through. "All phones are busy, please try calling again." Well when you do get through they are all filled up. Just today they had me drive 50 miles one way to submit my application for assistance so my power won't be turned off tomorrow. Only to find out that they sent me to an office that I didn't qualify for because I didn't live in that town. No one here in AZ will do anything about it. It will make McCain look bad. If he can't run his own State, how is he going to run the Country? I contacted newspapers, t.v. stations and no one will touch this disaster. Hats off to you for coming forward with your story and to you Mr. Rosario for having the guts to put this in print. God Bless you! At Last Someone is willing to listen.

What a tragic story, made all the more tragic by how increasingly common it is. While we can argue about terrorism and illegal immigration, it is beyond dispute that the real enemy here is wage stagnation. While the USA is the greatest country in the world, real wages have been decreasing in the USA for quite some time. See, e.g., http://www.workinglife.org/wiki/Wages+and+Ben...

Regardless of your political affiliation, you may want to consider telling your elected officials that you want them to (at least) attept to do something about wage stagnation. Regardless of your religious affiliation, you may want to consider saying a prayer for the Evenson family and/or donating to a worthy charity.

Thank you, Ruben and Pioneer Press! And the two people that have already responded! My intentions of writing Ruben have only been in the hopes to just help others see and maybe get a closer look at reality for some. Though, I did not want to share my story for my own benefit, to make others feel sorry for me but just to share my own accounts of being a lost family in a lost economy and Government. At some point I think a lot of people feel the same, no matter what situation their in.
So if you are religious or not, just the average American! Lets come together, lets understand each others situation for whatever reason, a little compassion for one another. Let's "pay it forword," a little compassion, not just for me but for the children, the FUTURE of this country! Because they are the innocents that are going to have to suffer if we do not just try to make things better! To me, each child deserves compassion, someone to understand them and so does every American! It is our Freedom to be who we are in this Great Country but we also deserve as all Americans, just a little respect and compassion I only hope that people will do this! And maybe if we "pay that forword," It will carry on into the future!
Thank you, to everyone for reading my story and thank you, if you do pay it forward! Someone will benefit, even if it's just an ear to listen, just like Ruben was for me!

How could someone making $42,000 a year think that they could afford a $1250 a month mortgage?

The husband makes $3500 per month, plus overtime pay that probably adds an additional $1000 per month, has Teamster health insurance, and the wife sits home not working......And we are supposed to feel sorry for them 'cause they can't pay their gas bill? I don't think so.
It sounds to me like they are in desperate need of help in money management more than anything else.
My wife worked for years at a night job while I watched the kids. Not the most comfortable arrangement but one which allowed us to provide for ourselves without begging from the government or our relatives, on that same Teamster pay.
If we must help anyone, we need to go a lot farther down the payscale than this couple.

well, personally, i don't think $1250 is an unusual mortgage payment, john...it seems to be quite the average, from people i've talked to...i have to say, i make less than the evenson's, but my house payment is much less...groceries, gas, energy...all have gone up significantly and there's "too much month at the end of my money"...it's so scary...
i wish the best for allison and her family...it's lovely she can stay home with her children, too damn expensive to pay childcare, not worth it...
wish i had answers for us all

A manifested idea that we too could have the American dream, a backyard for our two girls. Which the bank was willing to give us.

Old Vet wrote:

The husband makes $3500 per month, plus overtime pay that probably adds an additional $1000 per month, has Teamster health insurance, and the wife sits home not working......And we are supposed to feel sorry for them 'cause they can't pay their gas bill? I don't think so.
It sounds to me like they are in desperate need of help in money management more than anything else.
My wife worked for years at a night job while I watched the kids. Not the most comfortable arrangement but one which allowed us to provide for ourselves without begging from the government or our relatives, on that same Teamster pay.
If we must help anyone, we need to go a lot farther down the payscale than this couple.

very good points vet...you all could send money to me.....haha!
just by the by, i'm considering quitting cable tv and getting an antenna, just having regular tv...that might help allison, if you have bells and whistles you could cut back on
there are some very good tips on ways to cut back and save money on msn money

Here's the key sentence:

"They bought into the American Dream, whether they could afford it or not."

The "American Dream" is NOT a house in the suburbs, two cars, a bass boat, and a cabin by the lake. The American Dream is that you have the liberty to make of your life whatever you can make of it. You are not bound by caste, or ancestry, or religion. You can work for any employer who will hire you, at any job for which you are qualified. You can live in any house, in any neighborhood you choose, provided you can afford it. You can carve out your own destiny by your own sweat and the labor of your own two hands. THAT is the American Dream.

Yes, life is tough for a family on $42,000 a year, apparently. But there is no injustice here.

We know, we have come to our own self realization amongst myself writing to Ruben. We fell victim to a comfy life. I am putting myself out there and our own situation to be an example. We are maybe where we are for many reasons. And we are going to do our best to make our situation better. Which we can do because we had the support of family. Some do not...
Now do not manifest your idea to how we lived comfy. You have not lived in our shoes, You have only lived in yours and what you have witnessed to be negetive!

Allison, one of the disadvantages of forums like this is that written posts tend to come off "colder" than if they were spoken. It was not my intent to "slam" you or your family personally. You sound like resilient, resourceful people, and I think you will come through this rough patch just fine.

Have you noticed (I have) that most people who seem to be "comfortably settled" in life seem to be middle-aged or older? There is a reason for that. It is because that stage of settled comfort doesn't just drop out of the sky. It is the product of decades of planning, and saving, and careful spending. In short, it is an achievement. Almost all young families start out struggling. When my kids were your children's ages, we literally had to decide between hot dogs and diapers, and I made trips to the Blood Bank to help with grocery money. But I never considered it anybody's "fault".(And I'm not accusing you of that, either-- I am trying to address the larger, widespread societal issue of instantly claiming "victimhood" when life gets tough).

Hang in there, Allison. You and your family are going to make it.

This is why I almost did not want to do this article. I have put myself out there, for others to judge my past. Just like our politics, just like the way people are. Some only want to look for the bad. Lets try not to judge one another here. Lets try to make things better, that's what we are doing in our house. That was all I was trying to do in composing this article with Ruben.

This energy crisis is Government induced. This food crisis also.
Property taxes up.
Utility rates up, as we tear down coal fired power plants. That's the next shoe to fall.

Her problems are exactly what the environmental loons and the liberal politicians hoped for. Make it almost impossible to afford to drive your car, heat or cool your home and pay for groceries, then run to the government hat in hand asking for help.

What's there answer, no drilling, more ethanol, no nukes, no cheap coal and more income re-distribution. Or, yeah and more government sponsored low income loans to people who can't afford the loan in the first place.

What did the DFL do this year? Raise the sale tax, gas tax, tab fee's, add a wheel-age fee and push for another 3/8ths increase in the sales tax to fund "the arts". My property taxes, up another 20% this year same as last. Up over 100% over four years.

The state budget, up over 100% this decade alone. You never hear about how the Government is fleecing you, just how we need to take care of those who got in over their head.

" I'm on social security and McCain won't drive out here with an application for welfare. I had to drive 50 miles, hat in hand the whole way".

Grow up.

So as my children are going to start waking up and I don't know if I can continue in on this debate as closely. I want to leave it with, NO ONE, no one is perfect!

Allison;

Here's the plan:pack up the husband and kids, and some food and water. Then in the dead of night, slip into Mexico as 'undocumented aliens'. Go to the nearest Mexican welfare office, and I'm sure they will shower you with riches beyond your wildest dreams (not like the nasty ol' gringos who have given you every opportunity in the world, you just chose not to avail them to yourself), and you'll be sipping Margaritas on your mansions' patio before you can say 'gracias'. Or if that doesn't sound appealing, cut your expenses, sell your house and buy one you can afford, get some sort of a job where you husband can take care of the kids while you work, put the first $50 a week away in savings, and take advantage of all the opportunities available to you and you husband, and stop looking at the "union job' with benefits as the best you can do. I and all the other people reading your story are 'the government' and while I can't speak for them, there are much bigger issues that yours to be settled in my world.

If you can't afford it, DON'T buy a house or have kids!!!!!!

Allison Evenson wrote:

This is why I almost did not want to do this article. I have put myself out there, for others to judge my past. Just like our politics, just like the way people are. Some only want to look for the bad. Lets try not to judge one another here. Lets try to make things better, that's what we are doing in our house. That was all I was trying to do in composing this article with Ruben.

I hear ads on the radio all the time warning they are going to shut off peoples gas. Did you not get notices? Why didn't you call them and make arrangements?

I feel for you, I have had tough times myself. Part of being an adult and especially a married with children adult is to take personal resonsibility. You can't just not pay the light bill and expect the lights to stay on.

I am sure it's tough but come on. How much could your gas bill be per month?$150.00? You couldn't baby sit 3 times a month and make fifty per time just to pay you gas bill?

What was the point to this article? That the 50% of us Americans that are already over-taxed should be taxed more and put anither 10% in the wagon? I don't get it, when will it stop? When 80% are in the wagon and only 20% pulling it?

Another waste of newsprint.

Live within your means. Or work more.

I am so sad, Mr me. My girls have done so much for me you don't even know. My first born, I call my angel baby because she saved me in so many ways! And you saying that like I should regret her has brought me to uncontrolable tears!!!!

Maybe my children were unplanned and accidents, mistakes happen but to call my babies one of these, is that.. What you are trying to do to me, my kids. And yes there is the option of adoption but Kadee meant so much to me from the day I found out I was pregnant I could not give her up. And I knew as a mother internal that she needed her mother too!